Insights and Issues in the ongoing Jewish-Christian Dialogue

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This site is devoted to fostering mutual respect and understanding between Christians and Jews around the world. Here you will find articles, reviews, reports, official statements, and study resources on Jewish-Christian relations, as well as links to many related organizations. Please click on Contact to offer feedback or propose additions to the site.

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ICCJ

International Council of Christians and Jews

This site is owned and maintained by the International Council of Christians and Jews, which has 38 Christian-Jewish and interreligious member organizations in 32 countries. Its headquarters is in the Martin Buber House in Heppenheim, Germany, where the great Jewish thinker lived until Nazi persecution forced him to flee.

Through its annual conferences and other consultations the ICCJ offers a platform where Christians, Jews, and in recent years Muslims as well, examine current issues across national and religious boundaries, providing the opportunity for face-to-face exchanges of experience and expertise.

The views expressed on this website do not necessarily represent the views of the ICCJ, its Executive Board, or its national member organizations. For more details please see our legal notice.

Articles | Scholarly Contributions

Fundamentalism: A Jewish Perspective

Raphael Jospe| 01.06.2020

PRECIS: In this paper, by comparing a contemporary fundamentalist Jewish concept – Da`at Torah (“the Opinion of the Torah”) – with the Roman Catholic concept of papal infallibility and with the Evangelical Protestant concept of biblical inerrancy, I suggest that the Jewish concept has none of the built-in restrictions and limitations of the two Christian concepts. ... [more]

Articles | Scholarly Contributions

Bach Passions and Jewish-Christian Relations

Alexandra Wright| 01.06.2020

Can the Bach Passions do anything for Jewish–Christian relations, not just on the basis of the magnificence of Bach’s music, but taking into account the words and context, the cultural and religious milieu in which these works were written, as well as their theologies, expressed in the several layers of texts in the libretto, drawn from different historical periods. ... [more]

Reports (397)

41st Christian Commemoration of the Shoah by the Christian Jewish Dialogue of Montreal

Jean Duhaime| 01.05.2020

MONTREAL, May 1, 2020. In spite of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Christian Jewish Dialogue of Montreal (CJDM) has invited Chritian communities of Canada to take part in the 41st Christian Commemoration of the Shoah on Sunday, April 26, 2020. But it did it in a special way.
… [more]

ICCJ Consultation "Many Meanings of Mission"

Liliane Apotheker| 01.05.2020

The ICCJ Board convened in February 2020 in the ICCJ headquarters, the Martin-Buber-House in Heppenheim, for a two-day consultation on a provocative and essential theme: "The Many Meanings of Mission" - a report by ICCJ's First Vice President Liliane Apotheker.
… [more]

Religious leaders in Israel prayed together for salvation from the pandemic

JCR| 01.05.2020

In a unique move, religious leaders in Israel have taken a stand against the corona virus at the end of April. "Hundreds of thousands have died, millions have fallen ill. Save, we implore You, O Lord", Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Druze representatives prayed together in Jerusalem. The prayer, specially created for this occasion, was broadcast on the Internet due to the strict restrictions in the fight against Covid-19.
… [more]

Levinas and the Torah

Mind the Gap: How the Jewish Writings between the Old and New Testament Help Us Understand Jesus

Simon J. Joseph| 01.01.2020

Matthias Henze:Mind the Gap: How the Jewish Writings between the Old and New Testament Help Us Understand Jesus.(Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2017), 248 pages
… [more]

News (2)

Antisemitism is toxic to democracy and must be addressed, says expert

United Nations| 01.11.2019

GENEVA (17 October 2019) – Antisemitism is toxic to democracy and poses a threat to all societies if left unaddressed, warned the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Ahmed Shaheed.
… [more]

Canadian Rabbinic Caucus and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops: Bilateral dialogue holds biannual meeting

JCR| 31.12.2017

Tuesday, December 05 2017 - The national bilateral dialogue of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Canadian Rabbinic Caucus met for its biannual meeting on 29 November 2017 at the Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom, Montreal.
… [more]

Statements | Protestant (47)

God’s Unfailing Word

Church of England| 01.12.2019

Published November 2019 by the Faith and Order Commission of the Church of England.
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On the eve of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation

The United Protestant Church of Belgium*| 31.01.2017

This letter to the President of the Central Israelite Consistory in Belgium, Mr. Philippe Markiewicz LL.M., was read by the President of the United Protestant Church in Belgium, Rev. Steven H. Fuite, on Thursday, December 1st 2016, in the Great Synagogue in Brussels during the 6th annual colloquium of the group “Juifs et chrétiens, engageons-nous!” (“Jews and Christians, let us commit ourselves!”). The colloquium was attended by more than 200 people who discussed recent statements on Jewish-Christian relations.
… [more]

"… he keeps faith forever." (Psalm 146:6)

Synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany| 30.11.2016

Declaration of the 12th Synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany in its 3rd Session.
… [more]

Statements | Joint Christian-Jewish (54)

ICCJ Statement on the Global Ecological Crisis

ICCJ Executive Board | 01.10.2019

For Christians around the world September 1, the "Day of Prayer for Creation", marks the beginning of the "Season of Creation", an ecumenical initiative of the Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Anglican churches that runs through October 4, the Feast of St. Francis.The ICCJ Executive Board decided upon the following statement on the global ecological crisis:
… [more]

The Demands of Our Time

ICCJ| 02.03.2019

Looking with alarm and revulsion upon the current resurgence of antisemitism in many countries the ICCJ publishes a statement entitled "The Demands of Our Time"
… [more]

The Dignity of the Human Being. Children in Jewish and Catholic Teaching

| 30.11.2018

16th Bilateral Commission Meeting of the Delegations of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Holy See’s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews.
… [more]

Statements | Jewish (14)

Between Jerusalem and Rome - כלל ופרט בין ירושלים לרומי

The Conference of European Rabbis[*] and The Rabbinical Council of America[**]| 31.01.2017

The Shared Universal and the Respected Particular. Reflections on 50 Years of Nostra Aetate.
… [more]

To Do the Will of Our Father in Heaven: Toward a Partnership between Jews and Christians

| 31.12.2015

After nearly two millennia of mutual hostility and alienation, we Orthodox Rabbis who lead communities, institutions and seminaries in Israel, the United States and Europe recognize the historic opportunity now before us. We seek to do the will of our Father in Heaven by accepting the hand offered to us by our Christian brothers and sisters. Jews and Christians must work together as partners to address the moral challenges of our era.
… [more]

Declaration for the Upcoming Jubilee of Brotherhood

On November 23, 2015 at the Collège des Bernardins in Paris, the "Declaration for the Upcoming Jubilee of Brotherhood," signed by various persons of the French Jewish world (Jean-François Bensahel, Rabbi Philippe Haddad, Rabbi Rivon Krygier, Raphy Marciano, Franklin Rausky), was presented by the Chief Rabbi of France, Haim Korsia to Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, the Archbishop of Paris. An unofficial English translation of the statement follows.
… [more]

Statements | Ecumenical (21)

The Kairos Palastine Document

| 31.07.2010

We, a group of Christian Palestinians, after prayer, reflection and an exchange of opinion, cry out from within the suffering in our country, under the Israeli occupation, with a cry of hope in the absence of all hope, a cry full of prayer and faith in a God ever vigilant, in God's divine providence for all the inhabitants of this land. Inspired by the mystery of God's love for all, the mystery of God's divine presence in the history of all peoples and, in a particular way, in the history of our country, we proclaim our word based on our Christian faith and our sense of Palestinian belonging - a word of faith, hope and love.
… [more]

Statement on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

World Counil of Churches (WCC)| 05.09.2009

1. While the decision of the United Nations (UN) of 1947 (Resolution 181) to establish two states in the land of Palestine was partially achieved with the creation of the state of Israel, the second part of this resolution is still waiting for realization: the establishment of a Palestinian state.
… [more]

Holocaust/Shoah: Its Effects on Christian Theology and Life in Argentina and Latin America

Statements | Roman Catholic (68)

No to anti-Semitism and political manipulation of the truth

Council of Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE)| 01.02.2020

Statement from the Council of European Bishops'Conferences (CCEE) and the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.
… [more]

Once more I firmly condemn every form of antisemitism

Pope Francis| 01.02.2020

Address of his Holiness Pope Francis to a delegation of the "Simon Wiesenthal Center", Consistory Hall, Monday, 20 January 2020.
… [more]

A theology of welcoming and dialogue

Pope Francis| 01.07.2019

Address of His Holiness at the meeting on the theme "Theology after Veritatis Gaudium in the context of the Mediterranean", Naples, 21 June 20109.
… [more]

Articles | Observations & Experiences (189)

Morality in the Jewish State–Does it Still Matter?

Ron Kronish| 01.06.2020

The return of the Jewish People to its ancestral homeland after 2,000 years has been nothing short of a miracle. Our people retained a dream of returning to the Land of Israel, and succeeded in fulfilling the dream in the 19th and 20th centuries which led to the establishment of the state in 1948.
… [more]

"Remembrance never ends".

Frank-Walter Steinmeier| 01.06.2020

Germany's Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on the 75th anniversary of the liberation from National Socialism and the end of the Second World War in Europe in Berlin on 8 May 2020:
… [more]

Shalom in the Era of the Coronavirus Crisis

Ron Kronish| 01.04.2020

During the last 10 days, I have gone for a walk a few times with some members of my family (while observing the proper “social distance” of 2 meters or 6 feet) in the “Peace Forest” (Ya’ar Hashalom) below the neighborhood of Abu Tor in Jerusalem. As of today, however, I will be forced to forgo these walks, due to the fact that driving in the car more than 100 meters from my home will be prohibited by the authorities.
… [more]

Articles | Fundamentals & Introductions (131)

Religious communities in times of coronavirus

Samuel L. Boyd*| 01.04.2020

The coronavirus pandemic is forcing entire countries to rethink deeply-held social norms. Faith leaders are coming up with new ways to reach their communities, with many turning to online platforms to perform rituals.
… [more]

Pray, but stay away: holding on to faith in the time of coronavirus

Robyn J. Whitaker*| 01.04.2020

Plagues of global proportions might seem biblical, but coronavirus is creating new challenges for faith leaders. Last week in Australia, many churches, mosques and synagogues decided proactively to cancel their normal worship services. These were not easy decisions for groups for whom being a gathered community is central to their identity and practice.
… [more]

What is a bar mitzvah?

Jonathan D. Sarna*| 01.03.2020

It is a common scene on many a Saturday morning in cities and towns across the United States to see seventh- and eighth-grade boys and girls, a few not Jewish at all, gather in synagogues and temples to watch a classmate’s bar mitzvah.
… [more]

Articles | Scholarly Contributions (185)

Why Jews Don't Proselytize

Reuven Firestone| 01.05.2020

The ancestors of the biblical Israelites, like all the other communities of the ancient Near East, were idol worshippers. We know quite a bit about their religion from the great number of archaeological finds, including writings, that have been unearthed in what are today’s Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Iraq. It appears that all the peoples of the ancient Near East practiced essentially the same religion.
… [more]

Statements | Orthodox (3)

To Recognize Christ in His People: Declaration by a Round Table of Eastern Orthodox Priests and Cultural Representatives

| 31.05.2007

Twelve Eastern Orthodox priests and lay leaders from Greece, Georgia, Italy, Russia, and Ukraine issued this statement at the conclusion of a five-day visit to Jerusalem, April 20-24, 2007.
… [more]

Statement by Metropolitan Yuvenali (Russian Orthodox Church) on the Alleged "Ritual" Nature of the Murder of the Royal Family

Metropolitan Yuvenali| 31.05.2005

In its historical analysis of the Ekaterinburg tragedy, the Commission could not avoid dealing with the question of the so-called ritual murder of the royal family, which continues to be the subject of press articles.
… [more]

Communique of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church Regarding Anti-Semitic Posters

| 30.04.2005

Upon learning the facts with regard to the anti-Semitic posters and graffiti that appeared in Belgrade on March 22 of this year, as well as of earlier, similar and in some cases even more blatant, inhumane and malicious demonstrations of prejudice and intolerance toward the Jewish people, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, convened today, March 24, in prayerful memory of the innocent victims of the bombing by the NATO alliance, wishes to communicate the following
… [more]

Statements | Interreligious (8)

Urgent Action Needed to Prevent COVID-19

Religions for Peace* / ACT Alliance*| 01.04.2020

March 25th, 2020. The COVID-19 virus presents the entire world with a series of humanitarian, financial, social and political challenges, which do not spare faith-based actors and institutions.
… [more]

Declaration of the 10th World Assembly of Religions for Peace

The specific multi-religious character of Jerusalem / Al-Quds Acharif must be protected

| 01.05.2019

Appeal by His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His Holiness Pope Francis regarding Jerusalem / Al-Quds the Holy Citiy and a place of encounter. Issued during the apostolic journey of Pope Francis to Marocco, 30-31 March, 2019.
… [more]

Articles | Scholarly Contributions

Pope Pius XII’s Refusal to Publicly Condemn the Holocaust

In 2007, the beatification process of Pope Pius XII was met with protests by Jewish and Catholic leaders alike. The point of contention was the controversy over the Pope’s public silence on the Holocaust both during and after the Second World War. ... [more]